Arguably and the way this legislation is set up, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies that discriminate against the gay and lesbian communities and their ability to serve in the military will take time to do it this way. It could be done instantly with the wave of a presidential pen but the problem with that is that what the presidential pen giveth, the presidential pen may just as easily taketh away under the next discriminating and homophobic president. So, in a way, this slow walk may be better:

Via ThinkProgress, both the Baucus Bill and the plan put forward by Pelosi will enroll some more people but most will not be in the Public Option and it will not cover everyone:

CBO: Public Option To Attract Only 6 Million Enrollees & Doesn’t Offer Lower Premiums

The public option would attract about 6 million enrollees by 2019 and charge premiums that are “somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges.” This is because the public option would “engage in less management of utilization” by its enrollees and “attract a less healthy pool of enrollees,” the office concludes. Moreover, since the House bill expands Medicaid up to 150% of the federal poverty line, it’s possible that the enrollees that would have enrolled in the public option went into Medicaid instead.

Below is a comparison of the relevant provisions in the House and Senate Finance Committee legislation:

With a Single Payer solution it would be everybody in and nobody out - AND it would save a heck of a lot more money for everyone.

The difference is not just everyone being covered but HUNDREDS of BILLIONS of DOLLARS saved every year:

Bumping this back to the top -- see updates in red. Originally posted 2008-08-24 16:51:13 -0500. This is a call for action and more researchers.

UPDATE 2: "DENVER – Police have arrested three people they believe are linked to a white supremacy group in connection with a threat to possibly assassinate Sen. Barack Obama during the Democratic National Convention."

UPDATE 1: Via the Denver Post, two men have been arrested on weapons charges after a fortuitous traffic stop may have been involved in an assassination plot against Barack Obama. Hat-tip GregMitch of DailyKos.

Call for Researchers: The story below loosely indicates the possibility of a disturbing -- and perhaps encouraged -- trend toward violence. Volunteer information, links or participation in the effort to dig out and analyze whether or not this is a real trend or simply a set of disparate, depressing and deadly incidents.

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Is this what we've come to? If a party that lives by fear-mongering can't win and gets desperate, it relies on the unhinged to become their assassins?

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Man arrested with weapons at Pelosi hotel
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 08/24/2008 12:47:18 PM PDT

DENVER—A man who tried to carry two hunting rifles and two pistols into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's downtown hotel remained in police custody Sunday.

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More below the fold.